A short biography from
Peter Flynn, Amanda’s loving father
Imagine a young, beautiful girl who was talented, smart and endearing, with the world at her feet. This was our beautiful and caring daughter Amanda.
Amanda was our second child, a much loved daughter and sister to her brothers Scott and Anthony.
Amanda had the most outgoing and endearing personality that any person could wish for. She smiled all the time and many people told me they couldn’t help but be positive in her company. Little did they know that underneath the façade, Amanda was very frightened and constantly questioned what other people thought of her.
Amanda was a happy girl without a care in the world until she turned 13. She was always trying to impress her peers, who thought she was only a pretty face. There was so much more to her. Despite trying to comfort and encourage her strength, it didn’t help to improve Amanda’s vulnerability.
Amanda loved animals, especially her puppies. Like many little girls she loved dressing up and her room was filled with beautiful dolls and pretty pictures. She absolutely adored performing in front of her family. We had some wonderful Christmases together and it was Amanda’s performances that made the day.
As she reached her teens she had a profound interest in the theatre, in actors and TV stars. She loved games, sporting events, entertaining and anything that involved being a part of a large group.
She excelled at sport during her school years – particularly swimming and her ballet developed to the point of a prospective career.
It astounded us that a beautiful person like Amanda just wanted to be accepted and be welcomed into a team.
Her university studies, initially in drama, led her into early childhood development. She was passionate about nurturing little lives.
As Amanda got older she seemed to think that one of her missions in life was to make everybody else happy, despite dealing with her own personal demons. She was happiest when everybody around her had a smile on their face and we’re certain that her personal goal in life was to be there for others who needed help. This was intrinsically Amanda.
Putting her beauty aside, Amanda hid the suffering of mental illness that consumed her life and ultimately took her away from her loving family and the rest of the world. Amanda passed away from suicide at only 27 years of age.
While only a short life, Amanda taught us and everyone around her what it meant to be a genuinely caring and gentle person. Amanda will never be forgotten and her legacy will live on for years to come.
In Amanda’s honour her family established the Amanda Flynn Foundation. Over the years it’s provided grants to not-for-profit organisations with the aim of improving the mental health of young Queenslanders.
Today, the Amanda Flynn Foundation has partnered with Mater to open the Amanda Flynn Clinic as part of a new Emotional Health Unit in the Mater Young Adult Health Centre Brisbane. The Clinic is an inpatient facility catering to young people from 16 to 25 years of age who live with mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. The Amanda Flynn Clinic is the first dedicated private young adult mental health service in Queensland.
With a long history of providing compassionate care to patients, Mater has the expertise to offer young people the clinical care and emotional support they need to lead a happy and healthy life.
Read more about the Amanda Flynn Clinic at Materor go to your nearest emergency department
There are a number of organisations in Australia that specialise in offering young people support for mental illness. You are not alone.
Knowing how to communicate with a young person who has a mental illness can be challenging, however, there are a number of organisations offering resources to assist you.
or go to your nearest emergency department